Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-07-05
LIFE IN THE OHIO PEN.
How tho Concern was Conducted, ccord-
ing to Gao VFho has been There.

How tho Concern Was Conducted, 4 CcOrd-
ing to Gao Who has been There.
An EN- Convict in the Chicago Tribune.
The Warden ct the Columbus penIteu-
tiary at the time I was there was named
Noah Thomas. lie is not there now, as
that penitentiary is one Of the political
institutions OF Ohio, ami with every
change Of administration there Is 8 Change
in the wardenship and a., the other eli
GERS and guards Of the prison. Su8fay
there would be good many visitors to see
the services IN the chapel. AT such,
times Mr.. Warden Thomas would maks
very fine speeches and call the COnViess.
"his children" and speak Of the plass as
"great humanitarian and ethCaidhstI-
tuition" He never saw the COnvicts' that
| know of, st any other time, except,
perhaps, once in Q wal!o he might take
walk through the shops. Concerning the
food given to the convicts not much
complaint could be made. The quality
was good, but morning and evening a
man with q fair appetite could nave eSten
q little more, AZ dinner meat WAS served
with bread, SOUP and vegetables, and
enough Was given, but not an abundance.
No holidays whatever were giveD, and
the only one l ever heard of was at
the time CT Gariield's funeral. That day
the COuviCts had hOiidsy-that is, they
cid not work, attended service 10 the
chapel, and spent the est OF the day in
their cells, Just IS though it was Sunday,
| was not there at the time, but l heard
of it Wien there. The library was 9
pretty fair one, from which each convict
could draw book once q Week. No NIT
ter what you would send Tor, the librarian
would generally send vOu religious
book. Weekly newspapers were allowed
10 be subscribed iCT The medical at
tendance WGs GOOC, and sick COnyiCt5
were well taken care Of. Although the
warden made such fiHG speeches Sundays,
during the week We we're Unaer the
special charge Of the deputy
warden, Old Jimmy" Dean. H
had been there thirty-hve years,
aud seemed TO take no stock either IN the
humanitarian" or the 'ethicsl" princi-
pie. lie was g fine looking, benevolent
appearing Old gentleman that never got
excited nor out CT temper. and he had the
softest, smoothest and kjndest voice l
ever heard. And with it ell he had about
the Crualest and hardest heart. Through
long practice ne could punish man
within an inch Of his life, land bring him
10" Just in time and do 1t all in the kind
est and smoothest way possible. The
modes of punishment at Columbus were
two-"the hummIng bird" and 'the
hose" When man by q violation OF
the rules, made himself amenable to pun
lshment the deputy warden ordered him
to be taken TO q room set apart for the
purpose. The convict was stripped
naked, his feet chained together,
his eyes blindfolded, snd mis- hands bound
behind his back. he was then seated in
tub of water and his feet drawn NJ to-
ward the ceiling so that he took the form
of the letter V as near as could be. Old
"Jimmy" then applied the cumming
bird' to him. The hummigg-biTd was
an electric battery, and it was applied TO
the spine and to various other parts of
the body until the convict was nearly
shocked" to death, a close watch was
kept on mis- pulse, and he WAS given all he
could possibly stand. Instead of the
drumming bird" the hose would be
sometimes substituted. A man being IN
the position above described, and blind
folded, old Jimmy" would turn water
on him from a hose into his face,
nose snd mouth until he was
almost killed. Under this operation
l have known men to become uncon |
scieus but drought 10" sfterward, and |
some times after being brought to, If old |
Jimmy" thought they could stand more |
be would continue the dose. l was |
''hosed" FIVE different times for talking,
and for turning my head to the left in
stead of the right when marching. This
cost me some of my good time, but al